The Beast
by readingmama
Summary: When a selfish little girl has her world changed, can she learn to love and be loved in return? Will the beautiful boy who is never quite understood be able to crack the beast's shell? If a jealous popular girl has her way, the boy will be hers. FAGE 6 pack story written for Claire Bloom
1. Chapter 1

FAGE Six Pack

Title: The Beast

Written for: Claire Bloom

Written By: Readingmama/Vampiremama

Rating: T

**Summary/Prompt used: **Mortal Instruments in a Beauty and the Beast situation

When a selfish little girl has her world changed, can she learn to love and be loved in return? Will the beautiful boy who is never quite understood be able to crack the beast's shell? If a jealous popular girl has her way, the boy will be hers.

If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group: Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps, or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox.

www . fanfiction community/FAGE-6-pack/93625/

Prologue:

Young Clary Fray's red pigtails bounced as she pulled her hand from her mother's and bounded off toward the playground. From behind she was perfect, her hair bright and her little frame dressed in an outfit that belonged in a fairytale. It was only when one was face to face with her that they realized the beauty was only skin deep. Her face almost permanently twisted in a scowl, marring her sweet features.

"Give me that, I want it!" she screamed as she tore the shovel out of the younger child's hands.

"That's mine," the little boy responded, "but you can play with this." He offered her a bucket while reaching back for the shovel.

"No! I want the shovel," she demanded. The little boy changed his tactic and began to cry.

"Oh dear," Jocelyn, her mother, sighed as she made her way in to break up the fight. "Clary, honey, come here."

"Mom," she screamed again as if her backup had arrived. The other child was red in the face as he screamed for his plaything back, trying to wrestle it out of Clary's hand. "I want it!"

"That's not yours," Jocelyn explained softly.

Clary, realizing that her backup was not in fact backup, let go of the shovel and sent the other child tumbling furiously backwards into the sand. The little redhead's face scrunched up and Jocelyn glanced around, already seeing other mothers giving her that look she was so used to: judgment, disapproval, condemnation.

It wasn't that she hadn't tried to discipline her child; it just seemed that no matter what she tried, nothing worked. She had read hundreds of self-help books, and none of them seemed to give her any insight on how to handle her troubled six year old.

She blamed herself, always calling her beautiful and telling her she could do no wrong. Jocelyn thought she was building self-esteem, but what she ended up building was a tiny monster. Everyone gave Clary whatever she wanted because she was so cute, and when they didn't, they gave it to her because of the disturbance she caused. By the time the pattern had been recognized, it was far too late.

Before Clary could let out the blood-curdling scream that Jocelyn was accustomed to, Jocelyn whispered, "Come, sweetie, Mommy will go buy you your own shovel."

"I want a bigger one than his," Clary demanded, turning and pointing her finger at the little dark-haired boy who had scuttled off, keeping a wary but knowing eye on Clary.

"Sure, baby," she said. She took Clary's hand and began to lead her out of the park area, trying to ignore the snide and hurtful comments coming from the other mothers.

They took a step out of the sand and onto the concrete, neither mother nor daughter prepared for what was to come. The moment happened in both slow motion and lightning speed. The boy ran up behind Clary, and with both hands, shoved her hard.

"You're evil," he cried out, and as Clary lurched forward, her mother lost her grip on her hand and she landed face first on the concrete. "Learn to be nicer." The boy, pleased with himself, trotted back to his mother, who scooped him up and left the park without a backward glance. In fact, none of the other mothers even came over to see if Clary was okay.

She was not.

The pretty little girl rode in the ambulance to the hospital, the doctors stitched and mended, but the pretty little girl was no longer pretty. Her outsides matched her insides, and as she woke up and saw the horror in her mother's face, she wondered, who could ever learn to love a beast?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

10 Years Later

The noise of hundreds of teenaged kids assaulted her ears as Clary made her way from the cafeteria line toward the doors; she never ate in the cafeteria, preferring to sit outside where she was left alone. It was a maze of tables and backpacks, no straight path from one side to the other once the place was filled. Clary felt like she was walking through a land mine. She had just about cleared the last table when a foot stuck out and she tripped, sending her pitching forward and landing on her spaghetti lunch. The terror that she always felt when she took a tumble quickly dissipated when she felt the fury rise up in her. She jumped up and her body swung around to face the offender.

"You're going to pay for that," Clary roared, and the girl's eyes darted around in fear for a moment until she saw the supervisor coming over to check out the situation.

"There's nothing you can do, beast."

Clary roared again and lunged to attack the girl, but her arm was caught by Ms. Lovelace. "Come on, Miss Fray, to the office with you," she said, and then mumbled, "again."

"But she started it, she…" Clary trailed off. The world got away with everything, and she got away with nothing. She knew why. The angry red scar that sliced her face in a sharp diagonal, splitting her lip, left her not only less desirable, but less believable as well.

She walked two feet behind the supervisor, her head held high until they were outside the doors, and then her whole posture drooped in defeat. With a quick stop to clean the excess sauce off her clothes, the two made their way down the familiar walk to the principal's office.

Clary sat slumped in a chair outside the office, her hair coming to rest in front of her face. Her feet bounce on the floor in a frantic tapping, her anger and her nerves mixing as she waited to get in trouble again.

The door opened and the principal stuck his head out the door. "Come on in, Miss Fray."

Clary let out and angry sigh as she rose, and made her way past him into the room. She sat down in one of the metal chairs across from where Principal Herondale perched on his plush one. The office was clear of personal effects save one, a small five-by-seven picture of his family in a plain frame on his desk.

"This is the third time this week, Clary," he said, switching to the more familiar first name, as if they were friends. She wondered if that would change if she started calling him Stephen.

Clary lifted her head, her hair falling back, causing Principal Herondale to flinch at the red puckered skin. He couldn't help but do it, and she couldn't blame him, after all, her own mother still had that reaction after all these years.

"She called me beast," Clary said.

"You have to learn to ignore them," he said patiently. "I am going to have to call your mother."

"Please don't," Clary begged.

The principal seemed to consider this, and then sighed. "Okay, but this is the last time. You can't let them get to you."

The look he gave her made her blood boil. Clary was sick of pity.

"Do you have some extra clothing to change into?" he asked, gesturing to the huge stain on her shirt.

Clary nodded, and he returned it. "This is the last time, Clary. If you are caught again, it's going to be a suspension."

"Thank you, sir," she replied dutifully as she rose to make her way back to her locker.

By this time, kids were back in the hallways, getting their books for their next classes. Clary could feel their eyes on her, burning. The tears welled up fast and she pushed open the bathroom door, opting to hide until the bell rang. She made her way into the first stall and closed the door behind her, locking it. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, she wanted this life over with. There was no future for her, no one would ever hire her, not with her face. She had long lost hope that she would ever have a boyfriend, a husband, a family.

The door to the bathroom opened and two girls came in, giggling. Although Clary couldn't see them, she recognized them both once they started talking. Isabelle Lightwood and Maia Roberts were a couple of the bolder girls who teased Clary. And Maia was the reason Clary was hiding in the bathroom stall right now.

The girls were both beautiful, but in very different ways. Maia was biracial, giving her light, mocha colored skin that always appeared flawless. Her dark hair hung in perfect ringlets and her dark brown eyes expressive. Where Maia was curvy, Isabelle was tall and lean, towering over most of the boys in the school. Her hair was long and black as the night, her eyes just as dark, set off by the paleness of her skin. She was easily the prettiest girl in school. Clary hated them both.

"I thought beast was going to lose it on you," Isabelle laughed. "Her head looked like it was going to explode."

"It's not my fault she's clumsy," Maia retorted, adding some shiny gloss to her lips.

"What do you think really happened to her?"

Clary tensed at the question; she'd rather them tease her about something they didn't understand than try to find something real about her.

"I heard she's a werewolf, attacked one night when she was a baby and now she carries the gene, turning to a beast on full moons. That's where the scar comes from," Maia said pointedly.

The conversation was cut short as the bell rang. The girls swore as they realized their dawdling had made them late. They rushed out the door, leaving Clary alone in the room once more.

Clary hadn't even felt the tears until she saw them in the bathroom mirror. She quickly swiped at them and turned from her reflection. She still had to get changed, but the hallways would be empty now. As she stepped out of the bathroom, she collided with another form, far sturdier than her own, and it knocked her to the ground.

"Sorry," the boy stated, and he held out his hand for her. Clary didn't even look up as she took it. She was too embarrassed, covered in spaghetti sauce, and her cheeks still wet from tears. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Clary snapped and stepped around the boy, scurrying off down the hall. She looked back when she reached her locker, seeing the blonde curls of the most popular boy in school disappear into the classroom.

Clary grabbed her gym clothes and ignored the tingling feeling in her hand that didn't seem to want to go away. She had been knocked down many times in the hall, but this was the first time anyone had ever said sorry. Surely he had said it before he had known who she was.

Heading back to the bathrooms, Clary changed quickly and made her way to her class, her mind off the incident in the cafeteria, and moved on to something else entirely. Something new.

~~XXXX~~

Clary's daydreams through the rest of the day came to a complete halt as she made her walk home. She could ignore the looks she got at school, she had long learned how cruel kids could be, but confronted with adult strangers on the streets, she had to face the truth. She was hideous. Truly, she was a beast. The fear on the face of a woman who passed her by was enough to confirm this. Clary pulled up her hoodie and ducked her head, keeping it down until she was home safe again.

Kindness, as Clary had discovered, was a double-edged sword. The moment it gave her hope, something came to rip it from her. Not that she'd dare hope that a boy would like her, but every once in a while, she felt as though maybe it would be possible for her to have friends. Those hopes were usually dashed as quickly as they came, spiraling her into bitterness and depression again.

The door banged loudly behind her as she kicked off her shoes and headed straight up to her room.

"Don't slam the door," her mother yelled from the kitchen.

Clary responded by slamming her bedroom door. It wasn't that she wanted to be this way, she couldn't help herself. The moods inside her festered and grew until they were beyond her control.

Her bedroom was simple. Long gone were the extravagant trappings she used to enjoy as a child. Everything had been broken in fits of rage and inconsolable desperation. Now the walls, painted an off white color, held nothing. Her desk was sparse, only a cup holding pens and a few supplies in the drawers. Her bed was covered in a green comforter but had no extra pillows, no childhood toy to sleep with, it was empty.

There was nothing in the room, save one thing that Clary had any real attachment to. While most of the children her age hid diaries in their mattresses, Clary hid something else entirely. Reaching between the mattresses, she pulled out the small photo album and opened it as she lay down on her stomach.

In the beginning of the book was a rose, pressed tight in the pages, a memento from the day of her transformation. Her mother gave it to her that morning before they went to the park. Clary hated the memory but she couldn't seem to get rid of the rose, even though as the years went by, the petals would fall from it when she opened the album. There were only three petals left, and Clary flipped the page, choosing to look at her pictures instead.

The pictures were of a different time, the young girl in them had a perfect face even if it mostly held a scowl. "Why were you so angry?" she asked her former self. "You had everything and you took it all for granted."

It wasn't until she saw the drop on the album that she realized she was crying. She had spent many hours of her life looking at those pictures, wishing she could turn back time, praying for a magic spell to come and make her better; instead her thoughts only made the ache in her chest grow larger.

"Clary," her mother's voice followed a knock on the door.

Clary wiped her face and shoved the album back into the hiding spot. "Yeah?"

Jocelyn came in. The years had not been kind to her as well. The guilt she felt, she wore like a badge on her face, each set of wrinkles and lines spoke of the ways she had failed her daughter.

"Your principal called," she said as she sat on the side of the bed and put her hand on Clary's back.

"He said he wasn't going to," Clary stated.

"You've got to stop doing this, Clary."

"You don't know what it's like," Clary replied. There was no venom in her words; her anger with her mother had long faded.

"I know, baby," she said, leaning down and kissing the top of Clary's head. "But you need to let go of this anger. Just try."

When Clary didn't respond, Jocelyn stood with a heavy sigh and left her daughter alone. Clary rolled on her back and stared hopelessly at the ceiling. It felt like she'd been trying all her life. It was time to face the facts, there was nothing else for her but being alone.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

The morning alarm went off for Jace Wayland right at seven. Unlike most teenaged boys his age, he didn't hit the snooze button, instead he got out of bed and onto the floor. There he found his favorite book, held open with two weights. He started reading from the top of the page as he began doing pushups. His mind was completely fixated on his favorite characters that he let out a little groan only when he had gotten to the bottom of the second page and had to stop his routine. He picked up the weights and turned the page, setting it up for tomorrow morning.

He changed out of his boxers and into his running shorts, grabbing his mp3 player and sneakers before heading out for his morning run. He ran a little faster than usual, his story ringing through his ear buds, building up to the climax he'd been waiting to hear. His feet pounded the pavement as his heart raced, not from exertion, but from the excitement of the story. There was nothing he enjoyed more than getting lost in the fantasy world of books.

Jace did the same loop every morning, the scenery not important to him. He liked the run; it cleared his head and gave him the time to be immersed in another story. He didn't notice that he had company until he felt his arm tapped. Jace glanced over and sighed.

"Hi, Jace," Isabelle said, keeping stride with him.

While Jace had gotten up and thrown on workout clothes, it was clearly not the case with Isabelle. Her black hair was tied back in a perfect ponytail, and her makeup light, but done. She wore fitted yoga pants and a bra top, leaving her toned stomach on display. She was nearly as tall as Jace and was able to keep stride with his long legs easily.

Jace nodded, not wanting to stop his book, but the girl kept talking and he knew it was rude to ignore her. He hit pause on his player and yanked out the ear bud closest to her.

"So what do you think?" she asked, clearly not realizing he hadn't heard a word she'd said.

"About what?" Jace asked. His natural curls bounced in his face and he wished he had thrown the top into a ponytail like he usually did when he ran. He had been too excited to finish his audio book.

"Did you not hear me?" she pretended to chide. "What were you listening to?"

Jace's eyes lit up. "I was listening to the new Douglas DaVinci book. It's a wicked story about a race of ogres who…"

"Books? Really, Jace, I don't know what I'm going to do with you," Isabelle said, rolling her eyes. "I was trying to ask you about the winter dance. We would look so hot together coming in. You could wear black to match my hair and I could wear gold to match your eyes."

This hadn't been the first time Isabelle had asked him out. The girl knew nothing about him even though they had been in the same social circles for the last five years. It was clear that her interests were nowhere near the same as his, so he wondered why she kept trying.

"I don't think I'm going," he said diplomatically. He knew that his friends would likely try to drag him there, but he didn't have any interest in going, and even less in going with Isabelle.

"You have to," Isabelle said as she thrust her bottom lip out so far it stuck out just about as far as her perky breasts.

"I'll think about it," he said, feeling irritated. "Which way are you heading?"

Jace always turned left onto Charleston Way and Isabelle had been watching his routine enough to know this.

"Left," she said with a smug smile.

"Okay, well I will catch you later then, I'm heading this way." Jace slowed abruptly and cut behind her, taking a right. He popped his ear bud back in and turned on his story, not hearing the frustrated sound come from Isabelle as she was forced to run the other way.

"Running alone?" Maia asked with a smug smile as she caught up to her friend on the street, her jogging shorts nearly as short as her friends.

"Jace," Isabelle grumbled without any other explanation.

"Why do we even hang out with him, Isabelle? He's boring."

"He's beautiful," Isabelle responded darkly. "And I'm going to make him mine."

~~XXX~~

By the time Jace made it to school, he was back in a good mood. The end of his story had left him buzzing and he felt the excitement of deciding what book he'd read next. He sat in the library, tutoring in the first block. He loved sharing his love of literature with those students who needed a little extra help in English. His friends never really understood his love of books, and the people that did always regarded him with suspicion, not believing that he could be intellectual when he was so good looking; so it was a catch-22. He was the most popular boy in school and yet he always felt like an outcast, no one really understood him.

Jace glanced up at the clock and was certain that his student was not going to show, he was already twenty minutes late for a forty minute time slot. He began to peruse the shelves, his hand running along the books as if he could sense the good ones by touch.

The library was quiet, not many used it in the first block, preferring to stay home and sleep if they didn't have a morning class. It was Jace's favorite time of day. He plucked one off the shelf at random, loving to find hidden gems that way, and made his way to the large bean bag chairs set up by the windows. He sat facing the library, the books provided a more serene view to him than the hijinks of his classmates making their way across the field to their classes. Quickly he became enraptured in his book.

He heard the beanbag beside him become occupied but he was too engrossed to look up.

"Hello, Jace," the soft but distinct voice of Magnus Bane spoke.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Jace asked, surprised to see his pseudo friend.

"Just had to pick up some study stuff," Magnus replied.

Jace eyed him skeptically, he never knew Magnus to pick up a book. The boy was brilliant and offbeat—having skipped two grades already—even if he did make Jace feel uncomfortable at times. Jace could never quite put a finger on it, how there was always something different about the Asian boy with the dark eyes. Even now, he seemed to be looking at him in a way that made Jace believe he knew something that Jace did not.

Magnus' eyes flickered up and then he smiled. "I gotta go, I'll see you later."

Jace looked confused but waved goodbye to him before turning back to his book. It wasn't long before the sound of a soft sigh made Jace roll his eyes internally. There was no way Isabelle had come to the library to study. Jace looked over his book and was startled to see a different girl in front of him. She hadn't been sighing at his looks, like he was used to, but at the bookshelf. Her hoodie was pulled up over her head so Jace couldn't see who she was but he couldn't help be transfixed by the way her hand softly brushed across the books. Jace found himself moving before he could realize it. He needed to see who it was.

Jace had had his fair share of girls vying for his attention. He'd never really paid much attention to any of them, although he knew how to keep a polite conversation; so he wondered how come he felt so nervous as he approached the petite girl at the bookcase.

Her fingers hesitated over a certain book and then she plucked it from the shelf. Jace was grateful to see that he knew the book and had his opening.

"That's a great read," he said as he moved beside her.

The girl's face turned abruptly and looked up at his. Her red hair fell from the opening in her hood and her eyes looked fearful for a moment before they regained their composure. The angry scar that crossed her face made Jace blanch, he had never really looked at it up close and he wondered what could have happened to her to get it.

Clary saw the pity in his face and snapped, "Who asked you?"

Jace watched as the girl quickly strode off. His first reaction was to forget her, she obviously didn't want to talk to him, and yet, there was something in her eyes that moment before she regained her armor that haunted Jace for the rest of the day.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Clary sat on the grass cross-legged, her brown paper lunch bag tucked in the middle. She was up against the chain link fence, facing the school. That way no one would be able to sneak up on her. She'd had enough mean pranks pulled on her over the years to know the strategic place to sit. But today was different, she was lost in thought, her defenses down.

It wasn't that the blonde boy got a jump on her, Clary still saw him coming. It was that she had no time to make an escape by the time she did notice him. After all, she was thinking about him, it hadn't seemed real that he was walking toward her.

"Hi," Jace said, and sat down next to her. Clary thought her eyes would pop out of her head.

"What do you want?" Clary replied, but her voice was too surprised to hold the venom she usually used.

"I was just sick of the inside. Very noisy." Jace's nonchalant words accompanied with his stiff posture made Clary feel very wary.

"So why didn't your friends come out with you?" she asked, and then dug around her lunch bag pretending she didn't care.

"They're the ones who are the noisiest."

Clary giggled, and then froze. Jace went still as well. He didn't think he'd ever heard Clary laugh and it was shocking how sweet it sounded.

"What do you got for lunch?" Jace asked, peeking over to break the tension.

"Just a sandwich," she replied uneasily.

"Me too," he said but there was nothing in front of him. Clary looked and raised her eyebrow before remembering her face, and she turned back to hide.

Clary couldn't remember the last time she'd had a plain average conversation with anyone. Maybe it had never even happened. She didn't know what she was supposed to do, or say. She grabbed a pack of tiny cookies and opened them up. She shoved a couple in her face and then offered him the bag.

"Cookie?" she said, spitting cookie bits out as she did. Her face burned as her embarrassment rose.

Jace chuckled and grabbed a couple and shoved them in his mouth. "Sure," he replied, spitting cookie bits as well. Clary glanced over at him cautiously and then she began to smile. Jace's bright, beaming smile dazzled her and she sat staring at him for a moment.

"Did you start that book?" Jace asked.

"Yeah," Clary replied, dropping her guard for a moment. "I love how the author pulls you in right from the prologue. It feels like a story you've read a hundred times, but at the same time, it's completely new…"

Stopping abruptly, Clary grabbed her things and bolted. Jace watched her run away in shock, and then he saw what had caused her to flee.

"Jace!" Isabelle waved and called as she jogged over to him. "There you are."

Clary rounded the side of the school and she slammed her back against the brick wall. Her breath was frantic. How did she let herself get so caught up? Of course Jace was with Isabelle, he was her friend; they sat together every lunch. She didn't know how she could have been so blind, letting him lure her into conversation. Clary went over and over what she said in her head, wondering what could be used against her. One thing was for certain, it would not be happening again. Clary was done with Jace before he had the chance to hurt her.

She glanced up and saw a familiar face watching her. The dark eyes of Magnus Bane seemed to burn her skin. He approached her and she held herself tall, ready for a fight.

"You are different."

"How would you know what I am?" Clary snapped back.

He made a thoughtful sound. "Not different enough…yet. You should trust that friendship, before it's too late."

Magnus turned and walked away. A stunned Clary yelled after him, "Before what's too late?"

But her question went unanswered, and Clary made another quick exit.

~~XXX~~

This was not Clary's day. She felt confused and discombobulated and now she felt pain as her head smashed against the locker.

"Listen here, beast," Isabelle said with her hand holding Clary to the lockers while Maia stood watch. The two had cornered her after the final bell. "Jace is mine. You stay the hell away from him or you're dead."

Clary was too stunned to respond. Isabelle sounded jealous. What did she think Clary was going to do with Jace? Then she realized this was all part of their plan.

"You tell Jace to stay away from me," Clary roared, and slapped the other girls hand away.

A sharp intake of breath caused both the girls to look over and see Jace standing right there looking at them.

"Jace's coming," Maia spoke, her voice cheery.

"Thanks a lot," Isabelle seethed under her breath. "Jace, it's not what it looks like. She was threatening me…"

"Save it, Isabelle," Jace replied, unimpressed. And then he moved himself between Isabelle and Clary, earning a glare at the back of his head from the raven-haired mean girl. "Are you okay?"

Clary's eyes darted from Jace's to Isabelle's. The panic rose up in her and she felt lost. Having no idea what their plan was, Clary reverted easily back into what she knew best. "Didn't you hear me? I said stay away from me."

"You know what? Fine," Jace said, backing away with his hands up. Clary pushed down the tears she felt rising as he took off down the hall.

"Don't forget that about men, beast," Isabelle said once Jace had left. "They might want to party with a freak every once in a while, but they aren't after baggage. That's why Jace will cool down and come back to me. I'm beautiful, he belongs with me."

Isabelle turned and linked arms with her friend before they both sauntered off down the hall. Clary felt the tears falling, but she let them this time. She slid down the locker until she hit the floor, her body shaking with her sobs. She buried her face in her arms as she let the emotions overtake her.

She sucked in and held her breath when she heard footsteps; peeking up from her arms, Clary saw the back end of Magnus disappear around the corner.

"Just great," she mumbled to herself as she watched him. Now the whole school would know that she was in the hall crying.

Clary swiped angrily at her tears and pulled herself up off the ground. She slung her backpack over her shoulders and pulled her hood up, starting her walk home.

Even though she wanted to keep her eyes down on the pavement, she had to glance up to safely cross the street. She could see Jace, walking about a block in front of her, his posture stiff and his blonde curls bouncing angrily on the back of his head.

Clary knew it was her fault but she couldn't figure out why he was so upset. He'd obviously wanted to have gotten away with his plan. Clary huffed and ducked her head.

She didn't see the accident but she heard it. The tires seemed to scream as the car halted. Clary looked up just in time to see Jace flying up over the hood of the car and into the windshield.

"Jace!" Clary cried out as her body moved before her mind was able to catch up. Her feet pounded against the sidewalk as she quickly covered the block of space between her and Jace.

The man from the car was already on the phone to the police when Clary arrived. Jace was still lying on the hood and she climbed up next to him.

"Jace," Clary said softly, looking down and brushing his cheek. His eyes were closed and Clary couldn't tell if he was breathing.

She stared at his face, a thin cut at his hairline bleeding a small trail of red down over his eyebrow. Clary's fingers brushed gently, clearing the blood from his forehead.

"Jace," she said again.

"Clar…" Jace's eyes flickered open.

Clary let out a shuddering breath. "Jace," she replied with a bit of a smile.

"You came," he said, his voice quiet and rough.

"Well more like I watched you get ran over. What were you thinking?"

"You made me mad," he said weakly.

"So you throw yourself in front of a moving car?"

"You know, teen angst and all," he teased, and Clary laughed, but it sounded more like a sob.

The ambulance sirens grew and grew until Clary could see the lights pull up behind them. Jace tried to sit up and Clary pressed him back down.

"Don't move," she said.

"Okay," he agreed quickly, his face wincing still from the pain of trying to move.

Soon she was pushed out of the way, Jace disappeared into the ambulance, and Clary was swept away to make a statement. She ignored the looks she received from the police officers, after all, there were much more important things to do than worry about her scar. Jace was on the way to the hospital and Clary needed to get there.

"Clary! Clary!" Jocelyn Fray's voice carried over the general noise of the bystanders.

"Mom," Clary called out and waved so her mother could find her.

Jocelyn ran up and wrapped her arms around her daughter, squeezing her tightly and causing Clary to squeak.

"I'm okay, mom," Clary said, and while she tried to push out her embarrassment, it was the first time in a long time she had felt her mother's love.

"You're free to go," the police officer said to Clary and he offered her his card. Clary took it and went home with her mom in a daze.

Clary couldn't get her mother to stop following her, the shine of the concerned parent had worn off and was now rubbing her nerves.

"I'm fine, mom, I was nowhere near the accident," she explained as she searched through the bookcase in the living room.

The case was nearly to the ceiling and had a wide selection of books. Clary had read most of them, but there was one in particular she was looking for.

"It just makes you think," Jocelyn replied, sitting down on the chair facing her daughter's back. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

"Something did happen to me," Clary reminded her, not unkindly, but her focus was elsewhere.

Jocelyn was quiet and Clary was able to concentrate on her task. Finally, seeing the one she was after, she plucked it from the case and turned around, a triumphant expression on her face that soon fell when she noticed her mother's tears.

"What's wrong, mom?" Clary inquired.

"I try to be a good mom," she sobbed. "But I always get everything wrong."

"No you don't," Clary replied awkwardly, not sure what to do with her mom's outburst. "You're a great mom, really."

Jocelyn stood and wrapped her arms around her daughter and pulled her tight. "Let's have some girl time," she asked. "We could watch a movie? I'll make popcorn."

Clary, still clutching the book in her hand, looked at her mother and sighed. "Okay, mom," she agreed.

Her mother smiled brightly and Clary ran and put the book in her bag while her mother made popcorn. She hoped Jace was doing okay, but she was going to have to wait to find out.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Isabelle stood next to Maia at her locker. The hallways were mostly empty but filling up fast as the warning bell sounded. The general noise of students permeated the hallways as Isabelle seethed.

"I'm going to kill her," she spat. "Did you see what she did to Jace?"

"She didn't push him in front of the car, Izzie," Maia countered.

"That's not the point. He should have been walking me home and this never would have happened. Did you see his leg? It's broken! How are we supposed to dance together at the winter social if he has a broken leg?"

Maia was quiet in thought for a moment before she answered, "Oh! I know." With a flick of her hair she started hand jiving.

Isabelle rolled her eyes; good friends were hard to find.

"Come on," Isabelle told her friend. "The dance is Friday, we need to get to class so Jace can hurry up and ask me already."

Jace didn't even notice as Isabelle came into class, his mind was elsewhere. He had been told to stay home from school for a couple days but he didn't want to. He wanted to see Clary again. After the way she had looked at him at the accident—he just needed to see her.

With his leg propped out between the rows of desks, his injury was obvious. But other than the broken leg, a few stitches on his forehead, and a stiff back, Jace had come out fairly unscathed.

"Hi, Jace," Isabelle said, sitting down next to him.

Jace glanced up in surprise, not having expected her to talk to him again after the way he had talked to her the day before.

"Hey," he said warily.

"So the dance is this Friday," she reminded, and Jace looked at her like she was crazy.

Jace glanced down at his leg. "I won't be doing much dancing," he said.

Isabelle laughed. "Of course not, but you still need a date," she said pointedly.

"Maybe," Jace conceded, "but it won't be you. Isabelle, the way you treated Clary yesterday...you're just not the kind of person I would be with."

"But I'm pretty," she whined.

"Not to me," Jace whispered, and turned to face the teacher as the class began.

~~XXX~~

Clary had forgotten to put her hood up before she left for school, she'd been more interested in getting there to see if Jace was alright. Unfortunately by the time she got there, the bell had rung and she had to go to class. The entire forty-five minute period seemed to drag as she wondered about Jace. She had heard people talking in the halls about him, but without friends of her own, there was no one to relay the information back to her.

When the bell rang, she raced out of class, ignoring everything but seeing for herself that Jace was alright. She was so caught up that she didn't realize until she was standing in front of his locker she had no idea what she was going to say.

"Clary, hi," Jace said, surprised, as she approached him.

"Hi," she replied, ducking her head down. "I was just…I wanted to…are you okay?"

Jace smiled but she didn't see it, her eyes were firmly glued to the grout between the square tiles on the floor.

"I'm feeling much better, thank you."

"I'm sss…I wanted to apologize for telling you to stay away yesterday. I thought you and Isabelle…"

Jace stood confused for a moment. "You thought me and Isabelle what?"

"That you were trying to play a prank on me," she admitted softly. "But I know you weren't, at least I don't think you were, and I felt bad about the accident and I…" she grabbed her bag off her shoulders and pulled out a book, thrusting it at him, "I brought you this."

Jace looked down at the cover of the book. "I haven't read this one," he said excitedly. No one had ever given him a book, save his family.

"It's one of my favorites. I thought you might like it."

"I love it," was his heartfelt response.

Clary finally found the nerve to look up, and what she saw made her breath catch. Jace was looking at her, his eyes kind and his smile real. He was looking at her face and not recoiling.

"Okay then, enjoy," she said quickly. She made to leave but Jace grabbed her arm to stop her from going.

Turning back to face him, she fidgeted uncomfortably. "I wanted to ask you something," Jace said, his hand moving up to run through his hair. Clary didn't say anything, so he continued, "I was hoping you'd come with me to the dance."

Clary's face fell; he was still out to embarrass her. Her head turned away as she tried to hide her disappointment, and in doing so, her eyes met the curious look of Magnus Bane. She remembered his words.

You should trust that friendship, before it's too late.

Clary looked back at Jace, and she knew she had to take the chance.

"Okay," she said, and smiled as Jace pulled her into an appreciative hug.

~~XXX~~

Clary frowned as she looked in the mirror. It had been years since she had worn a dress, and even then it hadn't been a dress like this.

Jocelyn gasped as she entered the room. "Look at you," she cooed to her daughter. "So grown up and so beautiful."

Clary fought back her initial response to chastise her mother for lying to her, after all, they both knew she wasn't beautiful. But with her hair in a large messy braid falling down her shoulder, and the way the ivory dress fell just off her shoulders and flared out at her hips, she couldn't argue that she almost looked good.

"Here, let me get your picture before Jace shows up," Clary's mother said, holding up the camera.

Clary, who hadn't had her picture taken without a scowl in possibly her whole life, lit up at Jace's name, and Jocelyn was quick to catch the moment. Clary rolled her eyes at her mom but she couldn't help the smile that stayed on her face.

The doorbell rang and Jocelyn let out a happy squeak. "You wait here, it's good to keep them waiting. Make an entrance."

Clary would have argued but the sound of the doorbell sent panic into her heart. What if she had been wrong about everything? It wasn't too late to pull out and not go to the dance. She surely did not want the night to end up like _Carrie._

She had to make a choice. It would be easy to go back to the way things were, keeping to the sidelines and never letting anyone in, but where was the reward in that? She would spend the rest of her life in the shadows, never enjoying the light of love or even friendship. It wasn't something that Clary was going to risk any more. Without a glance back to the mirror, Clary headed downstairs to meet her date.

Jace stood at the bottom of the stairs, his palms sweating. His palms had never sweat before. Clary's mom, although nice, was hovering, and he felt petrified that he was going to have the wrong reaction and she would kick him out.

"Clary is a very special girl," Clary's mom told him.

"Yes, Ma'am," Jace responded.

"She can be very misunderstood but her heart is in the right place…"

Clary's mom's voice became foggy because at that moment, Clary appeared at the top of the stairs. She looked like an angel, her red hair like a fire that warmed her face, bringing color to the pale landscape. Her shapely legs stepped one in front of the other as she came down the stairs, and when she reached the bottom, Jace had finally found his voice again, barely.

"Hi."

"Hi," she replied and she looked down, his stare making her nervous.

"You look really pretty," Jace said earnestly.

Clary looked at him and smiled. "You do, too…well not pretty, but you know."

Jace laughed and the tension was broken, causing Clary to laugh as well.

"Okay you kids, let's get you together for a picture before you go," Jocelyn said, ushering the two out the back door and over to a lattice of flowers.

Clary looked up to Jace, just as he looked back down to her, and the picture was captured.

~~XXX~~

Isabelle's friends looked at her dubiously. They had never known Jace to be that mean but Isabelle was assuring them quickly.

"He's bringing the beast here as a joke. Maia is announcing the Winter King and Ice Queen and that is when it will happen. Just remember what you are all supposed to do."

Still unsure, they nodded their heads, all except Magnus, who was watching Isabelle with a curious eye.

When they had all wondered off to the refreshment table, Magnus approached her. "It's not too late to call this off."

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Jace is counting on us. He needs our help."

Magnus shook his head. "Learn to be nicer," he suggested plainly, and then headed off the other way.

"What do you know?" Isabelle mumbled after he left. "You wear more eyeliner than I do."

~~XXX~~

Jace's friends had been a lot nicer than Clary had expected. With the exception of Isabelle and Maia, who had been keeping their distance, all of the popular clique had been by to say hi and chat throughout the night. Clary felt like the whole thing was a dream. Of course there were still people whispering behind her back, but for once she felt like it might be out of jealousy instead of fear.

"Do you want to dance?" Jace asked as a slower song played over the sound system.

"Okay," Clary responded shyly.

Jace's hand was warm on her back as he held her close. Her whole body felt like it was flushing and she wondered if he could hear her heart pounding over the music.

"Thank you again for the book, I loved it," Jace said.

"You read it already?" Clary replied surprised. "I only gave it to you two days ago."

"I couldn't put it down. The author really knows how to spin a twist…" Jace trailed off. Habit had taught him that people tuned out about that time.

"He does," Clary agreed, and Jace met her eyes and smiled.

The rest of the dance was spent talking about books, his favorites and hers. By the time the last bar of music played, Clary had already agreed to loan him about five of her books and take seven in exchange from him.

"Can we have your attention please," Principal Herondale spoke through the microphone set up on the stage at the east wall of the gym. "It is now time to announce the Winter King and Ice Queen for 2013. Maia," he said, calling the girl up to the top of the stage.

Maia took the envelope from him and opened it up, smiling when she read the names. Behind her sat a table with a cloth over two objects. She pulled up the cloth on one side to reveal a crown.

"The Winter King is Jace Wayland."

There were many claps and cheers that came from the audience. Jace had not left Clary alone all night, and when he took off to collect his crown, she suddenly felt the evening turn ominous.

Magnus came to stand beside Clary while Jace made his speech. He was charming and witty, just what was expected from him. It was almost an act, or perhaps the way he was with her was the act.

"That boy is crazy about you," Magnus said as if he could hear her thoughts.

"He barely knows me," Clary said almost defensively.

"Does that change the way you feel about him? Barely knowing him?"

The questions were rhetorical, so Clary didn't respond, but she was surprised when she turned that Magnus was gone.

"And the Ice Queen is…" Maia's voice came through the microphone again. "The Beast!" she cried out and flipped the sheet off the table, revealing a set of big furry ears on a headband.

"Come on up here, Clary," Isabelle said, coming up on the stage. "Come get what you deserve."

The gym was quiet and everyone looked at Clary. A few people snickered but Clary held strong up until the moment Isabelle went up to Jace and slipped her arm through his.

Clary felt the bile rise up in her throat. She needed out, and fast.

Thankful that she had worn flats, she spun and raced out the door. She briefly thought to pause for Jace and see if he'd come after her, but the image of Isabelle and him standing there on stage was burned in her brain.

She didn't end up having a choice however, her lungs didn't seem to be working and she could hardly see through the tears in her eyes. She ran as far as she could into the parking lot and sat down against the guardrail, burying her face in her hands.

It only took a couple minutes before she heard her name.

"Clary! Clary!"

He had come for her. "Jace?" she said, standing up.

"Clary," he called again as he saw where she was. When he arrived at her, he pulled her to him in a tight hug. "I didn't know she was going to do that, you have to believe me."

Clary searched her heart and answered, "I believe you."

"Why is she so mean?" Clary asked, her tears slowing.

"She won't be anymore," Jace assured, causing Clary to look confused.

"Turns out Magnus had his own plan. He was behind the curtain on stage. As soon as you ran out, he stepped out and cut Isabelle's hair all off. Turns out the reason she keeps her hair so long is she has a huge bald spot on the back of her head."

Clary looked shocked and then she burst out laughing. Jace pulled her tight to him again and joined her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

Clary sat on her bed, the photo album open in front of her. She no longer hid it and it no longer held just photos from just her youth. In the back sat the picture of her and Jace from the Winter dance, but she wasn't looking at that, instead her fingers traced along the stem of the rose in the front of the book. There was one petal left on it, and looking at it made her sad but hopeful. The old part of her was slowly being replaced by a new and happier girl, but that rose and the other pictures in the book had been a part of her for so long.

"Clary," her mother called from her doorway. Clary closed the book and set it on the nightstand, smiling up at her mom. "Magnus is here to see you."

Clary felt confusion fill her, sure Magnus had talked to her and they had almost been friendly at the dance but she didn't know why he would be at her house. She went downstairs and her mother left them alone in the living room.

"Hi," Clary said hesitantly, but when she looked up at Magnus, she could see something different about him; she couldn't quite figure out what it was.

"Do you remember me?" he asked, his eyes curious as they watched her. Clary frowned. "From before."

Clary moved and sat down on the couch. The world had gone crazy and she was trying desperately to catch up. She looked back up at Magnus' dark eyes. They were rimmed with blue liner, but when she looked harder, she saw it.

"It was you," she said on a breath. "You were the one who pushed me."

Magnus nodded, but his look was cautious.

Clary was rushed with a ton of memories, all the bad things that had been in her life because of the scar on her face. But then when the images of pain subsided, she was reminded of who she was before, and who she would have possibly turned into if she had stayed on that path. She would have been with Isabelle and Maia, tormenting another young girl for fun.

Clary leapt out of the chair and wrapped her arms around Magnus' lean frame. "You saved me," she whispered.

"You saved yourself, you just needed a little help, and time," Magnus replied as he pulled back from the embrace. "And now it's time to make everything better."

"What do you mean?" Clary asked.

Magnus didn't answer, he just reached into his pocket, and when he pulled it out and presented his hand palm up in front of her, it was covered with glitter.

"What are you…" Clary didn't have time to finish before Magnus leaned in and blew the glitter at her.

The glitter seemed to create a smoke and surround her. She coughed as the shiny little flakes blinded her. She waved at the air as it seemed to heat up around her, and when the smoke finally cleared, she looked around and Magnus was gone.

Clary shook her head and turned. Her mother was standing in the entrance to the living room.

"Clary?" she asked, her voice as shocked as the look on her face.

"What is it, mom? What's wrong?"

"Oh my God, Clary," her mother yelled and she ran and hugged her daughter tight. Clary was completely freaked out as her mother held her. "It's a miracle."

Once Jocelyn let Clary go, she spun her around, and in the small mirror on the wall Clary saw her face for the first time. The scar had disappeared, like it had never even been there.

"What?" she cried out and rushed to the mirror. Her fingers brushed over the skin, like she wasn't sure it could be real. She stared at her face until the tears in her eyes didn't let her see anymore.

She turned around and hugged her mother tight as they both sobbed.

~~XXX~~

Clary was nervous, she hadn't felt this nervous going to school since right after her injury. Her hair was over her face as it always was. After she and her mother had shared the moment, it had not been mentioned again all weekend. It was like Clary's face had always been unmarred. She wondered what Jace would think.

She walked through the school and to her locker, and it wasn't long until Jace was by her side.

"I missed you," he said as he spun her around, and she ducked her head to hide from him. He reached up to brush her hair back and cupped her cheek. "Clary, I know we just had one date, but I want you to be my girl."

Clary looked at him like he was crazy and Jace shifted on his feet nervously. "Unless that's too fast, we can just hang out for a bit."

"Jace," Clary said, stopping him. "Of course I want to be your girl, but…" She lifted her face so he could see the unscarred version of herself.

Jace looked just as confused as Clary was. "Did you see Isabelle? She cut all her hair off and she has a bald spot on the back of her head."

Clary's brain felt fuzzy. "You already told me," Clary said. "And she didn't cut her hair, Magnus did."

"Who's Magnus?" Jace asked, the name sounded familiar to him but when he tried to remember, the picture would flitter out of his brain.

Clary reached up and touched her face; there was something otherworldly going on.

"Are you okay, Clary?"

"Yeah, I think I am," she said, and she reached up and wrapped her arms around Jace's neck. She pulled him to her and kissed him. "I think I'm perfect."

~~XXX~~

Isabelle tried on her third hat of the morning. Her life had been ruined, and all she could remember was a miserable angry boy that cut her hair, but no one seemed to believe her. Maia had ditched her as soon as she heard the news and now she was a social pariah.

She stuffed the reject hats back into her locker and she ducked her head and made her way to class. Several girls snickered as they passed her and she looked up just in time to see the school's new golden couple coming down the hall. Clary was so pretty, she couldn't remember why she had been so outcast for so many years, but now, on Jace's arm, she would be the most popular girl.

Isabelle held her face up and proud as she approached the two. But it caused her not to see the foot of a girl who had stuck it out to trip Isabelle. She pitched forward and landed hard on the ground.

"Not cool," Clary cried out, and bent down to help the girl up.

Isabelle looked up and saw that it was Maia who had tripped her, but after being scolded by Clary, she had lost the smug look on her face.

"I don't need your help, I can take care of myself," Isabelle bit as she pulled her arm back from Clary's. She got up off the floor and stormed down the hallway.

As she disappeared around the corner, Clary saw a boy with dark hair follow her. He drew your eye and made you look away at the same time, and Clary wondered if she was the only one who could see him.

Magnus turned and winked at Clary before he disappeared from her sight forever.

Clary took Jace's hand and she smiled up at him. "Let's go to class."

Jace smiled and started talking about the new book he read over the weekend, and Clary realized that her future could be anything she wanted. And right now, she wanted to walk down the hall with the boy she was crazy for.

THE END

E/N- thank you to Claire for the great prompt. I hope you liked it. A huge thanks to my beta Acrosstheskyinstars, who is magic.

Thanks to everyone else taking part in FAGE in any capacity. I love you all.


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